Folding seat



T. REEVE AND M. B. SW'EZEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

FOLDING SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,708, dated April 19, 1859;

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, T. REEvE and M. B. SwEzEY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Folding Seat; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a view of our invention in a folded or closed state, Fig. 2, is a front view of ditto, in an open or unfolded state, ready for use. Fig. 3, is a side view of ditto, in an open or unfolded state.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invent-ion is designed for a supplemental seat attachment to be applied to the ends of pews, settees, etc., adjoining the aisles or passage ways in churches, or public rooms or halls, the seats being soconstructed and arranged that the same may be unfolded from the pews or settees and made to occupy a portion of the aisles or passage ways when the permanent seats are filled or occupied, and when not designed to be used, or as the occupants leave them, be readily folded or closed so as not to monopolize any appreciable space in the aisles or passage ways.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention we will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the end piece of a pew or settee adjoining an aisle or passage way. The end piece A, is a vertical board or panel as shown in Fig. 3, and said end piece has a vertical slot a, made in it, the back of which is inclined so that the slot gradually increases in depth from its upper to its lower end, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

B, represents a seat, which may be simply a board, or it may be a frame provided with a plaited cane interior, similar to many ordinary chair seats. The seat however may be arranged in any proper or desirable way, and a bent metallic bar C, is attached to its under side, one portion of said bar, being at right angles tothe other, and the outer part near its end having a traverse pin b, passing through it. The slot a, has a slotted metallic plate D secured over it, the plate D, retaining the pin Z), in the slot a, and at the same time allowing the bar C, to work freely up and down, the slot c, in said plate D, being sufficiently wide to permit this. To the under side of the seat B, the upper end of a board E, is hinged, as shown at d, and t-he lower end of said board is hinged to the floor as shown at e. To the back part or edge of the seat B, the lower edge of a back F, is hinged as shown at f, the seat and back having about the same area. The back may be constructed similarly to the seat.

When the seat B, is in a folded state, the board E, is in a vertical position the back F, folded over on the seat B, and the latter turned down so that the bar C, will be at the lower part of the slot a, the whole being in a compact state as' shown clearly inFig. l.

When the seat is to be used, the seat B, is raised to a horizontal position, the board E, inclining slightly outward, and the pin b, of the bar C, fitting in a traverse groove b, in the upper part of plate D, at its inner side. The back F,'is the-n turned upward and may if necessary rest against a stop g, attached to the end piece A, see Figs. 2 and 3.

This invention has been practically tested and has been found to answer an admirable purpose. It may be applied at a reasonable cost and is not liable to get out of repair.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The seat B, attached to the end piece A, of the pew or settee by the pin b, of the bar C, and the slot a, in the end piece and provided with the hinged back F, and support E, the whole being arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

TAPN. REEVE. M. B. swEZEY.

lVitnesses WVM. TUsoH, W. HAUTE. 

